Discord
How to add a bot to your Discord server
A quick, current walkthrough of adding a bot to a Discord server with the OAuth2 invite link and the right permissions, plus how to make your own.
4 min read · Updated Jul 28, 2026
Adding a bot to a Discord server takes a minute once you know where the invite link comes from. You need the Manage Server permission, and the bot needs an invite URL with the right scopes and permissions.
This works for public bots you find online and for a bot you built yourself. If you want a bot that does exactly what your server needs, you can generate one from a sentence and then add it the same way.
Step by step
- 1
Check you have permission
You need the Manage Server permission on the server you are adding to. If it is not your server, ask an admin, because only they can approve a new bot joining.
- 2
Get the bot's invite link
For a public bot, use its Invite or Add to Server button. For your own bot, open the Discord Developer Portal, pick your application, go to OAuth2 then URL Generator, and tick the bot and applications.commands scopes.
- 3
Choose the permissions
Under Bot Permissions, tick only what the bot needs, for example Send Messages, Manage Roles, or Ban Members. Granting less is safer, and you can adjust it later.
- 4
Open the link and pick the server
Paste the generated URL into your browser, choose your server from the dropdown, and confirm. The bot joins immediately and appears in the member list.
- 5
Register commands and test
For your own bot, run its command-deploy step so slash commands appear, then type / in a channel to see them. Give the bot a role high enough to do its job, for example above any roles it manages.
What you can build
- A moderation bot that can ban, kick, and mute
- A ticket bot with a button to open support channels
- A welcome bot for new members
- A reaction-role bot for self-serve roles